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Saturday, September 19, 2015

Must See TV: Emmy's 2015

Year three of my own Emmy awards and boy is television changing. The pace at which TV has shifted to a stream and binge activity is a bit intimidating to me. Sure, there have been a number of trends and changes in film, during my 23 years on the earth, but the recent changes in the television world are absolutely crazy. Nevertheless, the content continues to flow at a faster pace.

Does anybody else remember the days when you only watched two or three shows and life was just as fun?... Yeah, me neither! Instead, 2015's Top Ten list only includes only about half of the shows that I watched from start to finish, this year--not to mention the time-fillers, like HGTV, re-runs, and all things ESPN.

Just so you know, the shows and seasons that qualify for this year's list aired between June 2014 and May 2015, much like the actual Emmy's.

If you want to compare and read the descriptions, check out my lists from 2013 and 2014.

- I have yet to watch season 3 of The Americans, but the reviews have been quite favorable.

- The Writer's Room appears to have been cancelled or perpetually postponed, as I have heard nothing about it (which is quite a shame).

- True Detective did not air from June 2014 to May 2015 and does not qualify for this year's list.

So, now, check out my favorites from the 2014-2015 television season...

10. The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon

(Season 2 - NBC)

While some of the new car smell has worn off of Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show tenure, he still has so much going for him, and, as long as he keeps it up, I'll keep watching. I truly believe that no one has more fun at their job than Jimmy Fallon, and that fun-loving air permeates through the television every night. Kudos to Jimmy Fallon for being so likable.

9. The Celebrity Apprentice

(Season 14 - NBC)

Unfortunately, Donald Trump has decided that his ego is more valuable than my television entertainment, but, regardless, for 14 seasons, he and Mark Burnett kept me plenty entertained. There is very little space in my diet for reality shows, but The Apprentice has always been great, in my opinion, regardless of how C-list the celebrities may be.

8. American Horror Story: Freak Show

(Season 4 - FX)

Another season of AHS, another shift DOWN my Top Ten list... Most critics have been harsh on this season of AHS, and I can understand why. The story was all over the place, with very little purpose or emotion. But, nevertheless, there were a few great performances from Kathy Bates, Finn Wittrock, and Angela Bassett. Hopefully, AHS can turn things around, this season, with Hotel, but I am not sure that Gaga is going to be the savior.

7. The Newsroom

(Season 3 - HBO)

Most of my readers know of my love for Aaron Sorkin and, out of that love, stems my love for The Newsroom. While most critics never cared for the show, I have loved it from the first episode, and, if there had been a fourth, fifth, or sixth season, I would have loved it just the same. If Sorkin writes it, I'm intrigued. It really is that simple. The first three of the final six episodes were so good, and my hopes were quite high that Sorkin actually cared enough to write a great ending. But, everything quickly went to crap. Fortunately, it was still The Newsroom, and I still liked it.

6. The Colbert Report

(Season 11 - Comedy Central)

Thankfully, the Colbert drought is over, as Stephen's tenure on The Late Show has finally begun, but there is no doubt that the Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report will forever be missed. The final season offered a number of great moments, with Colbert just being Colbert, and that is exactly what we, the fans, wanted. Kudos to everyone who was ever involved with The Colbert Report!

5. How to Get Away with Murder

(Season 1 - ABC)

For the record, I never thought I would ever enjoy a Shonda Rhimes show, but How to Get Away with Murder really impressed me in its first season. Sure, the show is overdramatized and a bit slow, but there are a number of twists and turns. And, there are not nearly as many overly-emotional moments as with Grey's Anatomy (thank God!!!). Kudos to ABC and Shondaland for impressing me, this year!

4. Bloodline

(Season 1 - Netflix)

While there were a few shows that I enjoyed better than Bloodline, this year, there are none that I miss as much as Bloodline. I truly fell in love with the crazy Rayburn family and loved the drama that kept you on the edge of your seat, even with the outcome being declared in the premiere. That move alone was genius and quite engaging. I'm not sure that season 2 can really keep up, but, either way, I cannot wait!

3. The Big Bang Theory

(Season 8 - CBS)

For the second straight year, The Big Bang Theory lands at number 3 on my top ten list, which is quite an impressive feat for a show in its 8th season, in my opinion. I know that many folks are no longer as fond of the show, but the past two seasons of the Big Bang have seen great improvements over seasons 5 and 6, where the women took a lot away from the show. The continuing evolution of Sheldon Cooper, along with a truly emotional send off for Ms. Wolowitz sold me on season 8 of this classic show. Hopefully, everything will continue to trend up, during season 9.

2. Orange is the New Black

(Season 2 - Netflix)

Orange is the New Black took Netflix and all of television by storm, during the summer of 2013, and, thankfully, the show just kept on chugging in season 2. There are a number of television shows that are great, from a critical standpoint, but Orange is the New Black draws you in and provides you with all you need to connect emotionally to its flawed characters. While it didn't quite make number 1, this year, there is no doubt that Orange is the New Black continues to impress.

1. The Last Man on Earth

(Season 1 - FOX)

Networks have such a hard time producing appropriate content that keeps the interest of today's TV audience. But, this season, FOX was able to absolutely blow me away with the unique addition of The Last Man on Earth, a hilarious new show from Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 Jump Street, The LEGO Movie). It is my guess that many of you have not seen The Last Man on Earth, but you should work hard to correct this issue. If you're looking for something original and hilarious, go check it out! The last true comedy that I fell in love with was New Girl, which also airs on FOX, but it has been a whole 4 years since that show premiered. And, of course, New Girl has struggled greatly in recent seasons. While there have been new comedies that I like (Silicon Valley, Girls, Trophy Wife, etc.), none have been THIS great. I can't wait for season 2. I don't even care that New Girl got bumped to mid-season! Go watch this show, people!

Well, there you have it, folks! Be sure to tune in to the Emmy's on Sunday night and see who the lucky winners are, this year.

Also, go watch each and every show that I've just listed. You won't be disappointed!